The 2026 men’s T20 World Cup could be the first major ICC event in 15 years not to feature an India-Pakistan match
India captain Suryakumar Yadav says his team “are going” to Colombo despite the uncertainty over their T20 World Cup clash with Pakistan on February 15.
The Pakistan government announced this week their team would boycott the match amid ongoing political tensions between the neighbouring countries, later clarifying the decision was taken in solidarity with Bangladesh who withdrew from the tournament after the ICC refused their request to relocate their World Cup matches out of India.
The ICC has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to “explore a mutually acceptable resolution” which “protects the interests of all stakeholders”, while Sri Lanka Cricket have also written to their PCB counterparts urging them to reconsider given the impact a forfeited match could have on the tourism sector in a country still recovering from an economic collapse.
A relaxed Suryakumar said at the pre-tournament captain’s media conference on Thursday that the World Cup favourites “have a flight booked for Colombo” as if the match was going ahead as planned.
“I think the mindset is pretty clear; we haven’t refused to play yet, they have refused to play,” he told reporters in Mumbai.
“The ICC has given us a fixture. The BCCI and the government have decided to play with them in a neutral venue.
“The discussion within the team is very clear – first we’ll play the match on the 7th (against the United States), then we’ll go to Delhi (to play Namibia), then we’ll go to Colombo.”
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said he would follow his government’s instructions.
Pakistan’s government have refused permission for their national cricket team to take the field in the marquee Group A game.
There’s a chance the countries might face off in the semi-finals or final, but it’s unclear whether the cricketers will be asked to extend the boycott into the playoffs.
“It’s not our decision. We can’t do anything about it,” Agha said.
“We will do whatever our government and the (PCB) chairman say.”
Should the boycott proceed, it would be the first major ICC event in more than 15 years to miss a head-to-head contest between traditional rivals India and Pakistan, undoubtedly the global governing body’s highest drawing game of any tournament.
It would also leave Pakistan with little room for error in their other three Group A matches with the top two teams from each of the four groups to progress to the Super Eight phase.
“Yes, we lost to USA in the last World Cup, but that’s history now. It’s a new World Cup, it’s a new team, and it’s a new combination,” Agha said.
“All three (other) teams in our group, they are very good sides; we are preparing for these games like we always do against any other team.”
The 2026 men’s T20 World Cup kicks off with a triple-header today with Pakistan facing Netherlands in Colombo, West Indies playing Scotland – who replaced Bangladesh – before India finish the day one program against the USA in Mumbai.
Pakistan will play all their World Cup matches, including any finals, in Sri Lanka under an agreement struck with ICC that allows for India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country played at a neutral venue.
Agha’s side enter the T20 showpiece in fine form after sweeping Australia at home in a three-match series last week.
